Cellphone boarding pass gets tested, experience gets journaled

The biggest problem with a new scheme -- particularly one involving you, technology and the TSA -- is the very real fear that introducing something fresh into a traditional system will create more havoc than good. As Grant Martin of sister blog Gadling discovered, there's a reason that belief exists. Upon realizing that he could utilize a mobile boarding pass on his flight from Detroit to New York, he excitedly pulled up a one-time use QR code on his iPhone and shuffled through to security. Upon reaching the checkpoint, he was greeted by a less-than-enthusiastic boarding pass checker who seemed to take entirely too long to send him onward; at the next step, the agent seemed miffed and discomposed by the fact that the passenger couldn't simultaneously rid himself of all electronics and keep his boarding pass on his person while passing through the metal detector. In the end, Mr. Martin concluded that the system holds a lot of promise, but it's still going to take some time before everyone else working at the airport adjusts to the year 2008.

[Torontonian @ Nov 27th 2008 7:19PM]

I'll be trying that out with Air Canada in a couple of weeks. Should be interesting.

[iEye @ Nov 27th 2008 7:26PM]

Hope you got a good deal, West Jet has been giving the fare away!

[Northern buddy @ Nov 28th 2008 9:38AM]

Old news. Already been using that with Air Canada for some time now. Works great. Gate staff love it. Security staff hates it. Meh to the security staff. They're just there because they failed proctology school but are still able to find 'pleasure' in their work.

[Allister @ Nov 27th 2008 7:21PM]

Anyone else think this really shouldn't be so hard? Most airlines are already ticketless, what do they care what format you have the boarding pass in, as long as it's readable.

[Chizzed @ Nov 28th 2008 12:19AM]

I used my iPhone as an "online" coupon at a Best Buy once. That worked...this should to. :o

[Neil @ Nov 27th 2008 7:24PM]

This has been possible for a long, long time with bmi flights departing Glasgow, Edinburgh and London Heathrow airports in the United Kingdom.

[Vianon @ Nov 28th 2008 12:39PM]

You just reminded me I have to be at gate 8 for the 6:55 flight on Monday morning. D'oh!

[thecolor @ Nov 27th 2008 7:28PM]

Ugh, such old news. I blogged about this exact thing with Alaska Airlines WAYYYY back in July: http://www.cypher-sec.org/blog/?p=150 to included the (at the time) live experience qik video stream: http://qik.com/video/139310# I created at the airport.

It's got ALLOT of quirks to work through, especially with typically lazy and power hungry TSA agents who either are not up on changes in their job or just make their own rules, "cause they are the "law". Obviously not all TSA agents are that way, but to many are to make it even easy to use without a pointless backup.

[sonicwind @ Nov 27th 2008 7:30PM]

I did this Wed on Continental at IAH (Houston). The checker didn't flinch, and I had no problems. And it was cool. Houston's been doing this for months, though.

[Flashpoint @ Nov 27th 2008 7:35PM]

I'm sorry sir, I'd show you my ticket but my battery died.

[Jack @ Nov 27th 2008 7:43PM]

I flew with Air Canada to Paris last month with the cellphone boarding pass. I was the only one in line with the e-boarding pass, and the security person clearly wasn't very happy that i had something different. She was like:"Where was the rest of it?", Me: "Rest of what? That's all i have, that's all they sent me." After about 10 seconds of confusion, I realized she wanted to see the email that was sent with the barcode (that possibility was never mentioned anywhere in the process). I pulled out my backup paper boarding pass so she could confirm my full name. I think i'll stick with the paper version next time.

[jblock19 @ Nov 27th 2008 7:45PM]

screw mobile flight boarding pass... they need to make a mobile ski/snowboard lift pass

[dynadon @ Nov 28th 2008 12:36AM]

yeah, pull your cell phone out every time you take teh lift. bound to drop it in the snow..

[gabe @ Nov 28th 2008 2:27AM]

nah - a few of my friends board and use our iphones as music players.

but its more of a nuisance to pull it out

how about a secret hand shake?

[Just some Human @ Nov 30th 2008 11:32PM]

Been there, done that. Many ski/snowboard area use re-loadable RFID cards. You just keep it in your pocket and you're good to go.

[Torontonian @ Nov 27th 2008 7:48PM]

Air Canada one way, Westjet the other. Worked out cheaper. I'm starting to think twice now about using my phone.

[go seki @ Nov 27th 2008 7:59PM]

hmm now if you replace this with the mac address of the phone or the RFID in your passport you begin to impress me with something new(ish)
@ iEye - agreed .. some sort of ID ought to be required (they do do this in the US for people boarding flights??)

[David @ Nov 29th 2008 7:14PM]

Haha, you said dodo

[jrock51 @ Nov 27th 2008 8:15PM]

dope

[aegzorz @ Nov 27th 2008 8:14PM]

Here in Sweden they have fingerprint boarding, but I'm not really comfortable with biometrics.
The ticket information is usually tied to the credit card used to pay for the trip which is kinda convenient I guess, just swipe to check in.

[Jaydie @ Nov 27th 2008 8:32PM]

Yeah

[BigD145 @ Nov 27th 2008 8:34PM]

Paper has no trouble getting through a security checkpoint, so why bother with this? The airport could just provide a kiosk with a camera and printer and off you go. Their friendly neighborhood lobbyist (ie you, the taxpayer) could take care of funding.

[ace587 @ Nov 27th 2008 8:35PM]

theyve been doing this in japan for years now

[Chrand @ Nov 27th 2008 8:44PM]

I did this with Continental at Newark Liberty (EWR) and it was a breeze. On my return at McCarren International (LAS), it was a mess.

After lots of bewilderment from the TSA folks (including one guy who whipped out his iPhone to show off all his apps!) I eventually got most of the way through security, only to get rejected AFTER going through the metal detector by a supervisor. I had to go back to start and print a boarding pass from a kiosk. So I guess it really depends on the airport.

[Bloobie @ Nov 27th 2008 8:51PM]

That's your own fault, though. Continental does not support mobile boarding passes at that airport.

Mobile Boarding Pass option is currently available for departures from the following cities: Houston, New York/Newark Liberty, Boston, Austin, LaGuardia, San Antonio, Cleveland and Washington, D.C. departures from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Customers have the option of Mobile Boarding on nonstop domestic flights and this option is only for single travelers.

[DarkLight @ Nov 28th 2008 11:33AM]

@Bloobie: D'oh!

[rita hainsworth @ Nov 27th 2008 9:14PM]

Oh yeah, that looks really secure.

[Murphy Mac @ Nov 27th 2008 10:02PM]

There are too many reasons why they should WANT people using this. There's a well known exploit in the current security system: The TSA people have no way of knowing if you're on a DO NOT FLY list. So, someone ON THE LIST can go through security with their real id and an easily forged boarding pass. Then they get to the gate and fly as someone else - with a ticket purchased in someone else's name. No ID is needed at the gate currently.

Making the fake boarding pass is a two minute job with and decent software. You don't even need fake id.

If the TSA were smart enough to put numeric codes on the boarding pass they could find the fake ones without even checking them against a computer. The person trying to exploit the system wouldn't know what code was good for a certain day, airline, or departure time. So easy to implement. But left wide open instead.

Electronic boarding passes open up a million more tracking mechanisms to government agencies.

[auricom @ Dec 18th 2008 5:42AM]

I think this idea wouldn't fly (yeah, intended!)

I've never used this QR boarding pass, but do they still verify this with your credit card?

[spyder @ Nov 27th 2008 9:56PM]

How is this news? I did this back in march for Air Canada... and i am sure it was available before then

[Haikibutsu @ Nov 27th 2008 10:24PM]

I am pretty sure SOME of them take baths...

[Christian G. @ Nov 27th 2008 10:53PM]

In Canada, we use a handheld scanner to verify the electronic boarding pass before letting the passenger into the checkpoint. We dont ask the passenger to show its boarding pass, electronic or paper, when going through the metal detector. I think it's only in the US.

Airline companies offer boarding passes ready to be printed off their website. These ones are easy to forge. Clearly enough, the boarding pass isn't a high priority in the security. The screening is.

[iEye @ Nov 27th 2008 10:47PM]

Not from the footage I've seen...

Wow, low rankage... I hope you pro-terrorist commentors enjoy your stay abroad, just remember not to tell anyone you have american/british passports...

[DeoWulf @ Nov 27th 2008 10:51PM]

@Flashpoint-- I was about to say, what happens if your battery dies?

[Mark Graban @ Nov 27th 2008 11:09PM]

I've tried this twice at O'Hare and had a horrible experience, as I blogged about here:

http://www.leanblog.org/2008/11/new-technology-that-doesnt-serve.html

http://www.leanblog.org/2008/11/follow-up-on-mobile-boarding-passes.html

[frank @ Nov 27th 2008 11:21PM]

it's a reality at Lufthansa since month.


http://www.locallytype.com/2008/10/21/ipod-touch-serves-as-a-flight-ticket-a-real-e-ticket/

[andy @ Nov 28th 2008 6:00AM]

I'm travelling like this since some months already all over Europe (mostly Lufthansa) and it's great! No more paper to forget (and I always have a spare battery pack with me ;) )

[Scott @ Nov 27th 2008 11:55PM]

I tried using this on a trip a week ago from Detroit and it didn't work because the scanner had its date set a couple days in the past, so it was rejecting the barcode as for an invalid date.

[J @ Nov 28th 2008 12:10AM]

I do this routinely on Continental in Newark. It usually works (although frequently the scanners have trouble reading my Blackberry). Generally, the TSAs are pretty good about it, but it has blown at least one of their minds that I have my boarding pass on my cell phone. I just walked through security though.

[alizain @ Nov 28th 2008 12:33AM]

i've actually been flying quite frequently from montreal to toronto on air canada and i find that the mobile boarding pass is excellent. all the security people know what it is and know what to do. fortunately, i haven't had any trouble with it. in fact i've been able to bypass very long lines in montreal with it. canada's system seems to be working very effectively.

[Adam @ Nov 28th 2008 2:08AM]

*yawn* flying AC1 YYZ-YVR in the morning, mobile checkin completed, mobile boarding pass received.

Whats this paper you speak of ? :)

[Tony @ Dec 2nd 2008 1:05PM]

I flew DTW > LAS on Friday using the mobile check in and my TSA agent seemed fine with it. In fact, when the thing wouldn't scan from my iPod Touch, she asked if I could make it bigger. I did the pinch and she thought that was the coolest thing and laughed. The one hitch was what I do to get through the magnetometer as I clearly just put my ticket vis a vis iPod thought he scanner. The initial ticket checker TSA agent had to call out to the guy frisking me. That's the only problem...

So all I can tell Mr. Martin is to use the security check in connected to the parking garage (which has significantly shorter NWA checkin lines, and more importantly shorter TSA lines) and perhaps they're less tiffed by his techniness.

[Almas @ Nov 28th 2008 2:51AM]

This is one isolated problem I just took a flight from Houston to San Francisco and used my iPhone to board and didn't have a problem any of the way fastest time to the gate I've ever had. And I'm Pakistani!

[lh @ Nov 28th 2008 3:37AM]

Somehow I find this whole mess unfounded. For the last few years I've been boarding all my flights by just showing my passport or id at gate where they check that I'm on the list. The boarding information and place number arrives by sms. This is quite commonplace on all European carries even on intercontinental flights.

[Patriks7 @ Nov 28th 2008 4:13AM]

"I'm sorry sir, I'd show you my ticket but my battery died."

"Change your battery then."

"Well.. uhm....."

[Kei @ Nov 28th 2008 6:31AM]

As mentioned, (although it seems Engadget only ever wants to talk about anything advanced if it's related to Dubai), Qatar's been also doing this for a while.

For anyone interested

http://blog.iloveqatar.net/2008/10/the-quickest-flight-in-history/ - 22/10/2008

[Cheddar @ Nov 28th 2008 9:06AM]

I recently used an electronic boarding pass on a flight from Detroit to Indianapolis and the TSA agents in Detroit were great. The gentleman at the initial check pointed me to the digital scanner where I swiped my phone and bling I was off to the x-ray belt. Before entering the x-ray I held up my phone indicating "this was my boarding pass" and the gentleman nodded his acknowledgment and I put the phone through the x-ray. At the gate it was another simple swipe (you need to hold the phone against the scanner to ensure it can be read).

I had a similar experience on my return from Indianapolis, however, the TSA officials were trying to use a handheld scanner which took a little longer to scan.

I think your experiences may vary and I would not let my or the blogger's experiences turn you off to a very convenient method of checking in on the run. I was able to check in on my iPhone during the drive to the airport and get my boarding pass (and a first class upgrade for checking in so early). Had I waited until I got the airport I likely would not have gotten the upgrade and would have been more pressed for time. This is great technology!!

[el rups @ Nov 28th 2008 5:06PM]

I've been using this for a year now... sorry mates I don't have an IPhone, it's a Windows Mobile :D How it works in Spain is this way: You get a MMS with the graphic code, then on the airport there are boarding pass machines able to read that MMS. You put your WinMo phone in front of the machine, you get your boarding pass. 5 seconds, and they don't have to modify the whole procedure to allow electronics etc etc.

[SimbaDogg @ Nov 28th 2008 10:16AM]

i thought it was just stupid apple fanboy products, but evidently you can't make a comment w/out getting low ranked. sucky for you buddy, sucky for you

[Michael @ Nov 28th 2008 1:55PM]

I used this flying out of Chicago O'hare this past weekend and it was pretty easy. I was a bit concerned that the TSA agent would not know what to do but I could tell that I was not the first to pass through with this. They have an interesting scanner at the security checkpoint. I do not recall having to use my ID which is interesting and maybe scary.

When I got to the American Airlines gate, I could not pull it up again. I will work out the logistics on my next trip. For now, I will leave time to go the paper route at the airport. This does save me the hassle of checking in and printing paper. And since I am more likely to keep up with my phone and not paper, I will favor this mode of check in over paper.